Parliamentary questions
6 July 2011 E-006646/2011
Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 117
Marietje Schaake (ALDE) , Johannes Cornelis van Baalen (ALDE) , Baroness Sarah Ludford (ALDE) , Norica Nicolai (ALDE) , Kristiina Ojuland (ALDE) , Ivo Vajgl (ALDE) , Renate Weber (ALDE) and Barbara Lochbihler (Verts/ALE)
Subject: Cooperation agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iran
On 14 June 2011 it was reported(1) that Bosnia and Herzegovina had signed an agreement with Iran concerning mutual cooperation on judicial matters (‘the Agreement’). The Agreement, signed by Iranian Justice Minister Morteza Bakhtiari and his Bosnian counterpart Barisa Colak, reportedly covers cooperation between the countries’ chambers of commerce and cooperation on transport and communication, banking and insurance, industry, tourism and science and technology.
The Iranian regime is guilty of grave and systematic violations of human rights, as evidenced by numerous extrajudicial executions, the widespread use of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in Iranian prisons, and the systematic violent repression of Iranian citizens exercising their legitimate rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Given the host of economic and trade sanctions that have been imposed on Iran, Iranian officials and Iranian state companies — including UN and other international sanctions and targeted EU sanctions — in response to both human rights violations and the Iranian nuclear programme, and given that, since the Thessaloniki Council of June 2003, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a potential candidate country for accession to the EU, with which it signed a stabilisation and association agreement in June 2008, the EU cannot accept the Agreement, and ought to speak out and take action.
1. Does the Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy (‘the Commissioner’) agree that the Agreement violates UN sanctions and, if not, why not?
2. Does the Commissioner agree that the signing of the Agreement undermines the positive influence of the stabilisation and association agreement and may have a significant impact on the potential candidate status of Bosnia and Herzegovina. If not why not?
3. Did the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina consult the Commissioner about, or inform him of, its intention to sign the Agreement?
4. Will the Commissioner push the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to cancel the Agreement and, if not, why not?
5. Does the Commissioner agree that the Agreement is counterproductive with regard to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ambition to join the EU and, if not why not?
(1) http://www.neurope.eu/articles/Iran-Bosnia-Sign-Judiciary-agreement/107172.php
Please find the answer here.
